ABOUT 800,000 people visited the city's iconic Floria Putrajaya 2013 since the festival began more than a week ago.
Putrajaya Corporation president Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat said the turnout was impressive, although the country was hit by the haze when the festival kicked off on June 22.
Due to the turnout, he said, the event, which was in its sixth year, was still declared a success despite falling short of the one million visitor target.
The event, which was launched by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, featured more than 400,000 species of flowers and plants, as well as activities for visitors over the last nine days.
"Due to the weather, most visitors came at night. This forced us to keep the doors open until 2am," he said during his speech at the festival's closing ceremony yesterday.
Present was Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan.
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Aseh said the massive turnout was also an incentive for the corporation to hold the event again next year, in line with Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
He said the dates for next year's festival would take into consideration suggestions made by attendees and participants.
Among the four innovations that attracted visitors were the longest landscaped vertical wall, a 343m wall of plants that made an entry into the Malaysia Book of Records.
He said there were 83 flower and landscaped gardens display lots in different categories and designs.
International participants included 23 garden designers from Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya and Romania. The World Flower Council, an international association of professional florists, had recognised the event as a global event that had put the federal administrative capital on the world map.
It was aimed at cultivating and strengthening care and appreciation for nature.
"I hope people in Putrajaya and Malaysia will develop a deeper interest in gardening and landscaping as they are healthy activities."
